The Mystery

Gilmerton Cove is a series of hand carved passageways and chambers that
lie below ground to the south of Gilmerton crossroads.

After
five years of work by Gilmerton Heritage Trust and The City of
Edinburgh Council to restore and preserve it for future generations, it
opened in August 2003, providing visitors of all ages with an
educational and fun experience.

The
entrance to Gilmerton Cove is through a visitor centre adapted from a
traditional mining cottage.

This
cottage now houses imaginative audio and visual displays that depict the
various theories behind the origins of Gilmerton Cove which, after
extensive archaeological and historical research, still remain a mystery.

These
include theories that it was the unique work of an 18th century local
blacksmith
George Paterson, a drinking den for gentry, a refuge for
persecuted Covenanters and a smugglers lair.